William van hob



(Mode1.)

' W. VAN HORN.

FENCE.

No. 376,218. Patented Jan. 10, 1888.

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' Unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM VAN HORN, OF PIQUA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WALTER O. LENNOX, OF SAME PLACE;

F E N C E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,218, dated January 10, 1888.

Application filed Novembrr 20, IP86. Serial No. 219,503. (Motleh) To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM VAN HORN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Piqna, in the county of Miami and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theiuvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to rail fences-in which the several parts going to constitute the fence are bound together by wires.

The objects of my improvements are to provide an easy method of reconstructing old rail fences that will save time, material, and space, and that will make a more substantial fence than methods heretofore used.

My improved rail fence consists, essentially, of a series of rails, 21. rider-rail and forked stakes, awire formed into two horizontal loops connected by a vertical loop, the upper horizontal loop embracing the upper portion of the forked stakes above the r'ider rail and the lower loop similarly embracing the forked stakes beneath the top railof the fence, a tension-stake inserted within the central loop and turned vertically therein and against the adjacent stakes, and drawing the surplus wire into the vertieal'loop, and a wire securing said tension stakein its vertical position, all as hereinafter set forth."

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a panel of afence con structed according to my improvements, and showing a tension-stake drawn from the lower fork. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a section of a panel, showing the tension-stake drawn down from the upper fork. Fig. 3 is a side 40 elevation ofa portion of a panel with the tension-stake drawn down from the upper fork. Fig. 4 represents an end perspective view of a portion of a fence-panel, showing in full lines the tcnsion-stake 1n the upper fork and 5 in dotted lines the position said stake assumes when turned down. Fig. 5 represents a top plan view of one end of a fence-panel con structed according to my invention. Fig. 6 represents a detail view showing the course of the binding-wire used to bind the crossstakes, the rider-rail, and the rail in the under fork together.

1 1 represent the cross or panel-bracing stakes, within the u pper forks, 2, of which rests the upper longitudinal fork-retaining or rider rail, 3, and 4 represents the lower longitudinal rail, placed within the lower forks, 5, said rails 3 4 serving, when secured in position, to maintain the forked character of the crossrails and prevent their spreading apart either 6c at their upper or lowerportions. 6 represents the tension-stake, and 7 represents the lower longitudinal rails. These parts constitute a panel of a fence as constructed according to my present improvements.

8 represents the binder for securing the respective cross-stakes 1, tension-stake 6, and rails 3 and 4 together. This binder consists of a single length of wire, which, as represented in Fig. 6 of the drawings, is formed in 70. the act of securing said stakes and rails together into three lo0psviz., a central verti-' cal loop, 9, and top and bottom transverse loops, 10 11.

The manner of constructing a fence accord- '7 ing to my present improvements is as follows: The stakes 1 are crossed together, as represented in the drawings, so as to form top and bottom forks, 2 and 5, respectively. The top or rider rail, 3, is then placed in position so as to rest within the upper fork, 2, at each end of the panel, and thereby connect the respect- .ive forks and prevent the stakes from moving inward at their upper ends, and the lower rail, 4, is then placed within the lower forks, 5, and the tension-stake 6 placed in a horizontal position, either within the lower forks and beneath the lower rail, 4, or else within the upper forks, 2, and above and upon the top or rider rail, 3. In either of 0 these stated positions of the tension-stake its tensile action upon the tie or wire binder will be the same, as willpresently appear. The cross-stakes and the rails 3 4, connecting the same and preventing their spreading apart, 9 5 being thus placed in position, I take a suitable length of wire and pass it beneath the tensionstake 6, when such stake is placed in the lower fork, or when such stake is placed in the upper fork, then beneath the rail 4,-and from thence carry it around the crossstakes 1, as represented, crossing the ends so as to form the loop 11, which acts as a support for the rail 4. From thence the ends of the binding wire are carried up to and over the top rail, 8, or where the tension-stake rests upon the top rail, as in Fi 4, then over said stake, thus forming the central vertical loop, 9. The wire is then crossed and looped around the upper ends of the cross-stakes, as at 10, and its ends twisted together, as shown at 12. By thus forming the binder-wire it will be observed that the two horizontal top and bottom loops, 10 11, bind the crossstakes and prevent their spreading. thelowerloop, 11, also acting as a support for the rail 4, whilethe central loop, 9, serves to preventsidewise movement of the rails 3 Lassists in supporting the railahaud also holds said rails 34 within thei r rcspeetiveforks; and the top loop, 10, also operates to grip and bind the top rail in position. The binder S, which is formed, as will be observed, from a single continuous piece of wire, having thus been placed in position, the tension-stake G is then turned down from its horizontal position, as represented in full lines, to a vertical position on one side of the rails, as represented in dotted lines at the lel'thand side of Fig. 4 and in full lines in Figs. 2, 3, and 5; and as said tcnsionstake is thus drawn down it will, as

represented in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, draw on the loop 10 of the binding-wire S, and cause it to bind on the cross-stakes at the points a a, above the upper fork, and the points I) Z), below the under l'orl; thereof. The same motion and the same operation will also cause the central loop, 9, ol' the wire to draw downward on the top rail, 3, and upward on the lower rail, 4-, and tighten thereon, thereby holding said rails firmly in the upper and lower l'orks of the cross-stakes, which are held in position by the end loops.

The operation of the wire is this: it causes I the cross-stakes to clamp the rails 3 and 4 firmly, and causes said rails to press tightly into the upper and under forks of the cross stakes, thus securing a reciprocal action of the rails and crossstakesin the tightening process.

The rails 7 of each panel are secured to the tension-stake G by means of a wire, 14, which u is wrapped around said tension-stake above the rail 4 and brought down to the lower end of the tensionstalcc and secured to it beneath the bottom rail of the series. Said rails 7 and their securing-wire 1d are gripped to the tension-stake G by tie-wires 15, which are passed around said tension stake and the wire 14, wrapped around and extending vertically thereof, as represented, so as to bind said wire tightly againstthe tension-stake; and as said wire 14 embraces the several rails 7, it necessarily follows thatsaid rails 7 are thereby grippingly held against the respective tension stakes. The tie-wires serve as stops to sepa rate and prevent any possibility of the rails 7 moving out of position.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is Thehereindescribed rail Ieucc, consisting of a series of rails, a rider-rail, and l'orked stakes, a wire formed into two horizontal loops connccted by a vertical loop, the upper horizontal loop embracing the upper portion of the forked stakes above the rider-rail and the lower loop similarly embracing the forked stakes beneath the top rail of the fence, atension-stakc inserted within the central loop and turned vertically therein and against the adjacent stakes and drawing the surplus wire into the vertical loop, and a wire securing said tension-stake in its vertical position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence 01' two witnesses.

\VILLIAM VAN HORN. Vitnesses:

J. H. I'IATCH, G. G. ILtLLooK. 

